112 / 122
Wines and horses are
two of the symbols of
this city in the province
of Cadiz. A historic
heritage that the city has
nurtured, protected, and
promoted
trading activity with the American colonies.
It was during this period that the Jerez race
of horses, known as “Cartujana” was crea-
ted and named in hour of the Cartuja de
Santa María de la Defensión (Carthusian
Monastery) whose monks raised horses
during many centuries until the ecclesiasti-
cal confiscations of Mendizábal.
Wine and horses are two of the symbols of
this city in the province of Cadiz; a historic
heritage that with the passage of time has
been nurtured, protected and promoted.
The aromas of regional gastronomy are
bathed in the wine tradition of Jerez. One
of the most outstanding of these wines are
those with the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry desig-
nation of origin and the various derivative
products, such as Jerez vinegar and Jerez
brandy, also bearing the designation of ori-
gin label. Such is the importance of wine
Jerez that the wine industry had a major
impact on the urban landscape between
the 18th and the 20th-centuries where an
industrial belt, consisting of wineries, was
built around the city that was later absor-
bed during the urban expansion in recent
years.
Raising of the Cartujana breed of horses is
also intimately bound to the development
of Jerez de la Frontera. Every month of
May, the city celebrates the Horse Fair, also
known as the Jerez Fair, a festivity that has
been declared on International Touristic In-
terest and where the absolute protagonists
are the horses and the riders. Horse strolls
and competitions take place during the
seven days of the fair in which the typical
dishes of Jerez (hot garlic, chicharrones,
kidneys with Jerez wine, and fried fish) are
always present, accompanied by Flamenco
music and dance.
Motorcycling, a passion in Jerez
Very different from the sound of a Spanish
guitar playing Flamenco music, is the sound
of a motorcycle racing at 300 km/hr.
Although it may seem strange, both sounds
are heard in unison at least during one
week of the year. The Jerez Speed Circuit
is the venue for the Spanish Motorcycling